You want me to wear those glasses?

Credit: AP

LOOKING AHEAD: Google’s ‘Project Glass’ has an early prototype, above, of Internet-connected glasses that might give wearers directions, the weather and video messages.

Credit: AP

LOOKING AHEAD: Google’s ‘Project Glass’ has an early prototype of Internet-connected glasses that might give wearers directions, the weather and video messages, above.

prevnext

Are we too vain for Google’s goggles?

The search giant yesterday went public with its formerly stealth “Project Glass” — a concept for augmented reality eyeglasses that would make searching and social networking a constant life companion, projecting into your field of vision all manner of visual cues, alerts and icons in a way that supplants smartphones.

Google’s video shows a man going about his day with the unobtrusive guidance of his virtual friend. As he looks out the window a small icon with the temperature pops up. While sipping a cup of morning brew a reminder notes an appointment that evening. He views a nifty wall mural and commands that a picture be taken and shared to his social network. He happily wears the device, which resembles the frames of eyeglasses.

This technology was pioneered in Massachusetts, and although it looks futuristic, it was developed decades ago. Thad Starner, who is on leave from Georgia Tech to work on “Project Glass,” gained international recognition at the MIT Media Lab as one of the world’s leading experts on wearable computers more than a decade ago.

Paul Zavracky, — another local pioneer in the technology whose past startups include Kopin Corp. and MyVu — was working on this type of augmented reality system for the military and the medical industry in the 1990s.

Just as some prefer contact lenses over even the trendiest bifocals, consumers may not warm to the idea of wearing a device that has an aesthetic appeal of a cross between the prosthetic worn by Geordi La Forge on the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” series and Pearl Vision eyeglasses.

Which brings me to my initial query — whether our vanity will hinder the adoption of the augmented reality goggles being designed by the crew in Mountain View, Calif.

Though the technology has been around for decades, it has not had the benefit of backing from a powerhouse like Google, with its search engine, mapping technology and nascent social networking program to build upon.

Yet the biggest challenge may not be the function, but the form. And we know who has the market cornered when it comes to look and feel. One hint: iGlasses.